The night sky over Saint-Denis on the night France won the World Cup
On 12 July 1998, France played Brazil in the World Cup final at the new Stade de France, just north of Paris. France won 3-0 and became world champions for the first time.
Zinedine Zidane scored twice with headers before half-time, and Emmanuel Petit added a third goal in the last minutes. Didier Deschamps lifted the trophy as captain.
The sky above Saint-Denis, France on 12 July 1998
The sun was above the horizon, so daylight hid the stars. The chart shows where they were. There was a waning gibbous Moon, 89% lit, but it was below the horizon.
The sun is above the horizon at this moment, so daylight hides the stars and the planets. The tables show where they are in the sky.
- Local time
- 9:00 pm
- Time in UTC
- 12 July 1998 at 7:00 pm UTC
- Sun
- Daylight
- Sun position
- 7° above the horizon
- Moon phase
- waning gibbous Moon
- Moon lit
- 89%
- Moon position
- 25° below the horizon
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | No | west | 19° |
| Venus | No | north-west | -9° |
| Mars | No | north-west | -1° |
| Jupiter | No | north-east | -32° |
| Saturn | No | north | -30° |
| Uranus | No | east | -17° |
| Neptune | No | east | -11° |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcturus | Boötes | south | 60° |
| Vega | Lyra | east | 46° |
| Capella | Auriga | north-west | 12° |
| Altair | Aquila | east | 13° |
| Spica | Virgo | south | 28° |
| Antares | Scorpius | south-east | 10° |
| Pollux | Gemini | north-west | 14° |
| Deneb | Cygnus | north-east | 31° |
| Regulus | Leo | west | 25° |
| Castor | Gemini | north-west | 15° |
35 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Canes Venatici, Boötes, Draco, Corona Borealis, Coma Berenices, Ursa Minor, Hercules, Ursa Major, Serpens, Leo Minor, Lyra and Virgo.
What happened that night
After the final whistle, huge crowds poured onto the Champs-Élysées. People sang, waved flags and celebrated through the night.
Zidane's face was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe with a message of thanks.
Why people remember it
France had hosted the tournament, and the win felt shared by the whole country. Many French people still remember exactly where they watched the match.
A star map of this night makes a gift for a football fan, or for anyone born in France in the summer of 1998.
Questions about this night
It shows 9:00pm Central European Summer Time on 12 July 1998, the kick-off of the final. France's win was confirmed at the final whistle, later that night.
Zinedine Zidane scored two goals and Emmanuel Petit scored one. France won 3-0.
In Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. It was built for the 1998 World Cup.